1. A hybrid inflator comprising:
a pressurized gas and a solid gas generating agent that generates a combustion gas as a gas source,
the solid gas generating agent comprising at least a nitroguanidine as the fuel, a perchlorate as an oxidizing agent and not less than 50% of a binder,
the mass ratio (fueloxidizing agent) of the fuel to the oxidizing agent being within a range of 0.75 to less than 0.95,
the pressurized gas comprising 15 mol % or more of oxygen.
2. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the solid gas generating agent comprises potassium perchlorate as the oxidizing agent and wherein the mass ratio (fueloxidixing agent) of the nitroguanidine and the perchlorate is within a range of 0.75 to less than 0.95.
3. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid inflator is suitable for use as an airbag system of an automobile.
4. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent is a perchlorate selected from the group consisting of ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate and potassium perchlorate.
5. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of:
methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt, cellulose acetate butyrate, nitrocellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, \u03b1-cellulose;
dextrin, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, carrageenan, sodium alginate, gelatin, starch, guar gum, gluten;
poly-N-vinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate;
polypropylene carbonate, polyethylene glycol, polyamides, poly-acrylic polymers, polyacetals, urea resins, melamine resins, polyurethanes, thermoplastic rubbers;
sucrose, glucose sugar, sorbitol sugar;
magnesium borate, magnesium silicate;
lactose, mannitol, amylose;
calcium phosphate, calcium lactate, and magnesium aluminate metasilicate.
6. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of nitroguanidine (NQ), guanidine nitrate (GN), guanidine carbonate, aminonitroguanidine, aminoguanidine nitrate, aminoguanidine carbonate, diaminoguanidine nitrate, diaminoguanidine carbonate and triaminoguanidine nitrate.
7. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the content of oxidizing agent is 5 to 60 mass %.
8. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the content of oxidizing agent is 10 to 50 mass %.
9. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the content of oxidizing agent is 20 to 40 mass %.
10. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the content of fuel is 60 mass % or less.
11. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the content of fuel is 50 mass % or less.
12. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the content of fuel is 5 to 40 mass %.
13. The hybrid inflator according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid inflator consists essentially of a pressurized gas and a solid gas generating agent that generates a combustion gas as a gas source,
the solid gas generating agent comprising at least nitroguanidine as the fuel, potassium perchlorate as an oxidizing agent and not less than 50% of a binder,
the mass ratio (fueloxidizing agent) of the fuel to the oxidizing agent being within a range of 0.75 to less than 0.95,
the pressurized gas comprising 15 mol % or more of oxygen.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first circuit configured to determine one or more signal characteristics in a portion of an input video signal;
a second circuit configured to select a multiplier value from a plurality of multiplier values in response to said signal characteristics, wherein the multiplier value controls operational rate and distortion behavior of the portion of the input video signal; and
a third circuit configured to generate an encoded bitstream in response to (i) said input video signal and (ii) said selected multiplier value.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said multiplier values comprise Lagrangian multipliers.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal characteristics comprise features relating to pictures in said input video signal.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal characteristics comprise features relating to various coding parameters used to encode said bitstream.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said portion of said input video signal comprises a macroblock.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of macroblocks having similar signal characteristics are grouped and processed together as a feature group.
7. A method for encoding a video signal, comprising the steps:
(A) determining one or more signal characteristics in a macroblock of said video signal;
(B) determining a dominant signal characteristic of said macroblock; and
(C) selecting a multiplier value from a plurality of multiplier values in response to said dominant signal characteristic, wherein said multiplier value controls operational rate and distortion behavior of the portion of the input video signal and is used to generate an encoded bitstream.
8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising forming a featured region by (i) repeating steps (A) and (B) for a subsequent number of macroblocks and (ii) creating said featured region comprising group of said macroblocks having a dominant characteristics.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said multiplier values comprises Lagrangian multipliers.
10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of multiplier values are generated using an offline training process.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said offline training comprises the steps of:
determining if said encoded bitstream has a first state indicating a maximum quality or a second state indicating additional processing is needed; and
adjusting said multiplier values when said bitstream has said second state prior to re-encoding said video signal, wherein said multiplier values are stored in a look up table when said maximum quality has been obtained.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said offline training comprises the steps of:
forming a featured region by (i) repeating steps (A) and (B) for a subsequent number of macroblocks and (ii) creating said featured region comprising group of said macroblocks having a dominant characteristics; and
selecting a feature region definition value from a plurality of feature region definition values in response to said dominant signal characteristic, wherein said feature region definition value is used to generate said encoded bitstream.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said selection of said feature region definition value is based on one of more of features selected from the group consisting of high frequency content, motion, color, and edge information.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein (i) said feature region definition value and (ii) said multiplier value are selected independently.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein (i) said feature region definition value and (ii) said multiplier value are selected concurrently.
16. An apparatus comprising:
a first circuit configured to generate an encoded bitstream in response to (i) a video input signal and (ii) one or more multiplier values;
a second circuit configured to determine if said encoded bitstream has a first state indicating a maximum quality or a second state indicating additional processing is needed;
a third circuit configured to adjust said one or more multiplier values when said bitstream has said second state prior to said first circuit re-encoding said video signal, wherein said third circuit stores said one or more multiplier values in a look up table when said maximum quality has been obtained.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said apparatus comprises a rate distortion optimization system.
18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said third circuit stores a plurality of multiplier values with each of said values corresponding to a particular characteristic of a portion of said video input signal.
19. The system according to claim 16, wherein said system further comprises:
a fourth circuit configured to provide post-analysis of said encoded bitstream.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said fourth circuit provides analysis of spatial frequencies.
21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said fourth circuit provides analysis of temporal motion.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein analysis comprises spatial frequency analysis is provided on a per macroblock basis.
23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein (i) said bitstream comprises a series of frames, (ii) each of said frames comprises a plurality of macroblocks, and (iii) said temporal motion analysis is provided on a per macroblock basis.